"Most all of them are freshmen," remarked Bill condescendingly. "I suppose each one expects to be made captain of the regulars the first crack out of the box." Then they all laughed, remembering their own great ambitions the preceding year. "It isn't so long ago that we were freshmen ourselves," observed Ted Dillingham. "But to hear us talk, you'd think we were seniors, at the very least." "Here comes Coach Phillips!" some one cried, and the boys turned to see the teacher of English entering the gymnasium. There was an excited murmur from the boys. All braced instinctively, trying to look very stalwart and determined, so that when the coach's eyes turned upon them he would know at once that he had found a treasure, and they scanned his face as though they hoped to find in its expression some key to their fate. Mr. Phillips looked them over smilingly. "I see you've turned out in fine style," he said. "Plenty of beef among you, too; and that's good. I'll need a bunch of huskies this year." He paused for a moment, scanning them collectively and individually before proceeding. "As you all know," he continued, "the June commencement crippled our first team quite seriously. The man we shall miss most is, of course, Ralph Wynn, our former captain and quarterback." There was a stir among the boys, and many of the upper classmen nodded acquiescence. "We'll have a hard time replacing him, sir," said McCarty, right guard of the regulars. "I grant that," replied Mr. Phillips. "But we will do it. There is as good material now at Lenox as the school ever had. Our job is to develop it and mold it into a good fighting team that we'll be proud of. "Now," he went on briskly, "I'm not going to make any change in the lineup at present, as far as the old players are concerned. They did so well last year in the positions they occupied that I think to shift them would weaken the team. That doesn't mean, of course, that they will continue to be fixtures if they fall down on the job. But for the present they keep their places. "I will name them now, and as I do so I want them to stand to one side so that we may see clearly the members of our reorganized team." There was an increased tension in the air as Mr. Phillips took a notebook from his pocket and opened it. The critical moment was approaching. Mr. Phillips began to read. "Walker, center. Painter, left guard." The boys named stood apart, and the freshmen looked on them with envious eyes, so great and awesome did these veterans of the gridiron appear to them. "Benny Knapp, you will play left half again," Mr. Phillips continued. "McCarty will be at right guard and Aleck Anderson will take his old position at right tackle. Ollie Scarsdale, you will take left end. Dick Thomas, right end. There we have our seven, all that are left of last year's eleven." Again Mr. Phillips paused and looked the aspirants over with a quizzical smile.